Oral capillary hemangioma: a clinical protocol of diagnosis and treatment in adults.

PURPOSE: Hemangiomas are benign vascular anomalies characterized by benign proliferation of blood vessels. There are no well-defined criteria for the diagnosis and treatment of oral capillary hemangioma (OCH). The objective of this study is to report a safe, effective, and low-cost protocol for diagnosis and treatment of OCH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight patients were diagnosed with OCH, through two physical examination maneuvers-the diascopy and head lowering maneuver with abdominal compression (HLMAC). The treatment performed was sclerotherapy with ethanolamine oleate, weekly, until the disappearance of the lesion. No local anesthetics were administered prior to the sclerosing agent injection. RESULTS: All cases showed a complete remission of the lesions after sclerotherapy. There were no visible scars or compromise esthetics or normal function, and there was no evidence of recurrence. Only one patient had superficial ulceration, which remained asymptomatic and healed without specific treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This protocol was effective in the diagnosis of OCH through two physical examination maneuvers with low-cost and easy implementation, the diascopy and the HLMAC. The low concentration associated with a reduced amount of the sclerosing agent was responsible for the excellent results in the cases treated.